A new survey from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warns of a sharp rise in Candidozyma auris (C. auris) cases across Europe. Between 2013 and 2023, EU/EEA countries recorded about 4,012 cases, with more than half reported in just the past two years.
C. auris is particularly difficult to control because it can survive on hospital surfaces and equipment, colonize skin without causing symptoms, and spread silently between patients. Those with central lines, urinary catheters, ventilators, feeding tubes, or extended hospital stays face the greatest risk.
The fungus is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, leaving limited treatment options. Routine disinfectants may be ineffective, and unnoticed colonization can fuel outbreaks during patient transfers.
Most European cases have occurred in Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Germany. In several of these countries, C. auris has already become regionally endemic, with outbreaks so widespread they are difficult to distinguish from one another.
Invasive infections carry a high mortality rate of up to 60% in some hospital settings, depending on patient health, resistance profile, and how quickly treatment begins. The ECDC warns that once endemic transmission is established, the window for effective intervention narrows rapidly.
The problem is not confined to Europe. In the U.S., the CDC reported 4,514 clinical cases in 2023, more than double the total from 2021. The fungus has now been detected in over half of U.S. states, with New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Nevada, and Illinois among the hardest hit.
